Sugar Mamma’s chicken salad is suited for summertime

Often, light-sounding chicken salad is a leaden disappointment: too much mayo and not enough crunch. That’s why the Chicken Salad Croissant at Sugar Mamma’s Bakery is a fresh, feel-good revelation, especially for what is building to be a long, hot summer.

Often, light-sounding chicken salad is a leaden disappointment: too much mayo and not enough crunch.

That’s why the Chicken Salad Croissant at Sugar Mamma’s Bakery is a fresh, feel-good revelation, especially for what is building to be a long, hot summer.

Almonds and celery add crunch to the filling, while grapes give it a bright fruit lift. Greek yogurt goosed with a touch of mayo provides creaminess without caloric overload. The dreamy chicken salad is served on a flaky, lighter-than-air house-baked croissant. At $4.95, it’s a steal.

But wait, there’s more. For an additional nickel, you can get half a sandwich (chicken salad or smoked ham and cheese) and a cup of soup. The soup changes every day, but the standards in the rotation are: roasted red pepper, tomato basil, chicken tequila, chicken noodle and (in winter) chili. The $5 lunch special is offered 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday only.

The bakery opens at 7 a.m., so if you live in the Northland you can grab a sandwich on your way in to the office for an at-the-desk lunch.

Sugar Mamma’s has been around for a while, but when Debbie and Earl Wetzel bought the bakery in March 2011, the previous owners had discontinued lunch. Reinstating it has been popular with regular customers and brought in first-timers, Wetzel said.

The trick to keeping lunch at Sugar Mamma’s on the light and cheap side is, of course, ignoring the powerfully tempting baked delicacies arrayed in the pretty glass cases.

What I usually do, instead, is wait till the last minute, when Debbie is ringing up the sandwich, then casually order a lime bar or raspberry-lemonade cupcake “for later” or “for a friend.”